The Best Memory Strategy I Learned This Month

          "Good, better, best
           Never let it rest
           Until the good is better
           And the better is best"

I had the privilege this month of learning from ​Steve Shallenberger, author of Becoming Your Best: 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders. His conference session was dynamic and interactive - exactly what I need to keep me awake and learning. At one point in the session he asked everyone in the audience to memorize the four lines above, repeating each phrase several times, and then telling it to someone nearby. He also warned us that he would quiz us on it later in the session. 

Three weeks later, I remember this rhyme! Researchers tell us that rhyming is a powerful tool for moving information into long-term memory. Rhymes are even more powerful when they have an appealing, short pattern or are set to music. 

As a facilitator of adult learning, I am always searching for new ways to help my participants retain key concepts. Shallenberger reminded me that I can intentionally add simple rhymes to my training sessions. For example, in one of my classes, I teach some basic information about "SDI." I have now created a short rhyme that begins with "The 3 Whats and 3 Whys of SDI..."

Take a moment to think of a key concept that you need your learners to memorize. Play around with the necessary words. Go online and search "rhymes with..." to find a list of rhyming words. Get creative! It will be worth the effort! 

Looking for other memory strategies? Check out this easy idea. 

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